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Volume: 3 | Issue: 4 | May-Jun 2019 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 - 6470
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23693 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun 2019 Page: 350
International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
recognised that the price is depletion of the naturally increased over time and at the current rate, more than 50%
available resources (i.e. Water, air, fuel etc.) and increase in of all the living species will be extinct from earth.6
waste.
Contemporary Environmental Solutions:
Strategic sustainable development and waste management Since the turn of the millennium environmental issues have
including environmental pollution control is the need of the come to the forefront with a marked shift toward all things
hour. And for the same reason, Environmentalism has green in politics, technology and perhaps most importantly,
evolved as a more concrete and needed concept in the society.7
popular culture. Small but significant efforts have been taken
in order to save our environment. 1. Early Climate Agreement: In 1997 the Kyoto
Protocol was adopted by some countries (although not
Environmentalism over the past decade the U.S). It marked an early serious attempt by world
Contemporary Environmental Issues: leaders to address global warming in a coordinated
The most significant environmental issue of 2000-2009 was way.8
the environment itself. During the past 10 years, the
environment played an increasingly important role in almost 2. Hybrid Revolution: In 2001, the Toyota Prius became
every aspect of modern life—from politics and business to the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle to be sold
religion and entertainment. The environment was a pivotal worldwide. It heralded the beginning of an era -
issue in all three of the decade's U.S. presidential elections, commercially-viable and even successful green goods.
commanded more congressional attention than any issue Industry insiders called it a game-changer attracting
except the economy and health care, and was the subject of buyers despite its higher-than-average cost and unique
government action and debate worldwide. During the past look. Buying a Pries wasn't simply about fuel efficiency;
decade, businesses embraced green initiatives, religious it was making a statement about the environment.9
leaders declared environmental stewardship a moral
imperative, and stars from Hollywood to Nashville promoted 3. Green Awareness: With the end of the old
the virtues of green living and environmental protection.3 millennium, it was seen that the environmental
awareness has increased tremendously, spurred by
Climate Change decades of educational and activists campaign.
Climate change is becoming more and more evident with the
passage of time, and particularly human generated global 4. Protection of Road less Areas: In January 2001, the
warming has resulted in the significant climate change. It has US Forest Service adopted Road less Area
now become a topic of more scientific research, debate, Conservation rule which preserves 5.85 million acres
media attention and public concern than any other of land from road constructions and logging.10
environmental issue over the past 10 years.
5. California Goes Solar: In the year 2002, California
Overpopulation passed an aggressive Renewable portfolio Standard,
The global population has doubled between the year 1959 which aims to replace utilities in the state with at least
and 1999 from 3 billion to 6 billion. According to the current half of their energy from renewable by 2030. 11
projections, the world population will increase to 9 billion by
the year 2040, which will lead to severe shortage of food, 6. Electric Cars: There has been an increase in use of
water, and other natural resources. Overpopulation is Electric cars in order to replace the use of fuel by
expected to increase other environmental problems, such as electricity.
climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, and
pollution. 4 7. Sharing Fish: In 2006 the U.S. started regulating the
commercial fishing industry through catch shares, in
Global Water Crisis an attempt to make fishermen partners in
As we have been taught, the earth only has 4% of fresh water conservation instead of adversaries. The basic idea is
contrasted to the 96% of saline water. There is already that each fisherman is awarded a percent share of the
scarcity of water resources in existence, and the crisis will total catch. This helps incentivize conservation
only get worse with the increasing population and measures and accelerated the recovery of many
consumption. With the advent of the 22nd century, there will declining U.S. fish stocks.12
be immense scarcity of water resources.5
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23693 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun 2019 Page: 351
International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
8. Fuel Efficiency: The Energy Independence and up” approach of the Copenhagen and Cancun agreements”.18
Security Act resulted in tougher new fuel economy It establishes common binding procedural commitments for
standards, including the phase-in of standards for all countries, but leaves it to each to decide its nonbinding
SUVs and even large commercial vehicles. “nationally determined contribution” (NDC). The agreement
Manufacturers had fought the standards for years but establishes an enhanced transparency framework to track
eventually worked with the government to meet the countries’ actions, and calls on countries to strengthen their
standards.13 NDCs ever five years. IN June 2017, President Donald
Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States
9. Rise of Walking: There has been an increase in from the Paris Agreement. However, withdrawal cannot
pedestrians with time, people have started preferring formally be initiated until November 4, 2019, and would not
to walk over using fuel run vehicles. take effect until a year later. The Trump Administration has
meantime indicated that it will continue negotiating the
10. Protecting the Atlantic Coast: In 2010, the Paris rules and may remain in the agreement under revised
Department of the Interior announced a ban on oil and terms.19
gas drilling in federal waters off the Atlantic
Coast until 2017. This was the latest in a series of Initiatives by the Indian Government
efforts to limit development off the ecologically In India, the environmental awareness gained momentum
sensitive U.S. coasts.14 since the 1970s after the UN conference in Environment in
Stockholm (1972). Indian government took many
11. Dams Come Down: In 2012, Washington's Elwha environment friendly activities and continues to imply in its
dams were removed, restoring a wild river to Olympic statute various provisions with an object to preserve
National Park. This was arguably the most high profile environment. Here are a few initiatives taken by the Indian
dam removal in a growing movement that has sought Judiciary over the past decade in order to curb out
to restore natural rivers and see the return of salmon environment depletion:
runs.15
Environment Friendly Products: The government is
12. Climate Agreement: In late 2015, nations came setting stringent standard for manufacture of all products in
together in Paris and agreed to a new plan to limit the market.
global warming. The deal opens for formal signatures
on Earth Day, and it will require countries to reduce Ban on Harmful Pesticides: Severalchemical products have
emissions according to their pledges. been banned in order to avoid soil depletion and there are
Environmentalists are cautiously optimistic that the now plans to replace them with safer bio-pesticides20
agreement represents a global turning point.16
Ban on smoking in Public Areas: A ban is proposed on
13. Tougher Ozone Standards: In August 2017, the smoking in public areas. The Delhi government took the first
Trump administration EPA dropped its decision to initiative in order to prevent harmful smoke from entering
delay new Obama-era regulations on ozone, a long the environment. 21
irritant that forms when sunlight irradiates emissions
from vehicles, power plants, and other sources. In Ban on Fire Crackers: The Supreme Court has restricted
October 2015, the Obama administration tightened use and sale of fire crackers in order to prevent massive air
the ozone national standard from 75 parts per billion pollution which is caused due to bursting of crackers in
to 70 parts per billion, citing ozone’s toll on public Diwali22.
health. The Obama administration estimated that the
reduction would yield $2.9 to $5.9 billion worth of Ban on Plastic: The government has implemented a ban on
health benefits in 2025, outweighing its estimated plastic to reduce waste and manage it more efficiently. There
annual cost of $1.4 billion.17 has been a rise in the products which can be used as a
replacement of plastic. Additionally, the government has also
14. Species Show Recovery: There has been a slow and introduced plastic which meets the required standard in
steady recovery of endangered species. For instance, order to replace non-biodegradable plastic.23
Pandas, Bats and Grizzly Bears.
Paris Agreement: National Solid Waste Management Council: The main task
World leaders on December 12, 2015, parties adopted the of the National Waste management Council is to convert 40
landmark Paris Agreement. “The agreement represents a
hybrid of the “top-down” Kyoto approach and the “bottom-
18https://www.c2es.org/content/history-of-un-climate-
talks/
13https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422 19https://www.c2es.org/content/history-of-un-climate-
-earth-day-46-facts-environment/ talks/
14https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422 20https://krishijagran.com/industry-news/18-pesticides-
-earth-day-46-facts-environment/ banned-by-govt-of-india/
15https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422 21https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/countr
-earth-day-46-facts-environment/ y/india/summary
16https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422 22https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-
-earth-day-46-facts-environment/ court-firecracker-ban-pollution-diwali-5413938/
17https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422 23https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/single-use-
-earth-day-46-facts-environment/ plastic-ban-india_us_5b3a09b6e4b0f3c221a28a07
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23693 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun 2019 Page: 352
International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
million ton of fly ash in to bricks, city garbage into energy been actively contributing to the preservation of our
and sewage into fertilizer.24 environment. Some examples of such organisations are
UNESCO, UNEP, CITES and Greenpeace.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporate social
responsibility aims to ensure that the companies conduct Environment Education: It is believed that increase in
their business in a way that is ethical and environment environment education will reverse the misuse of the
friendly. Section 135 of the Companies act25 mandates environment and its resources. It is concerned with teaching
businesses to contribute in the economic, social and conceptual knowledge and skills, a process in which
environment development in India. individuals gain awareness that will enable them to act and
also develop values and attitudes which will motivate and
Pollution by Motor Vehicles: Anti- pollution measures are empower individuals and groups to work and promote the
being strictly enforced against motor vehicles. Vehicles not sustainability to solve present and future environmental
adhering to the standards prescribes are heavily fined and problems.
may even be asked to be off the road. Delhi’s odd-even rule is
an example of such a step in order to fight rising air pollution However, despite the introduction to Environmental
in Delhi26. Education, decline has shown no sign of abating.
Unloading of Petrol: The presence of lead in Indian petrol is Media: mass media like radio, TV, Newspaper, weeklies,
one of the major causes of air pollution through automobiles. documentaries, films, hoarding boards etc. have a great
The government has been pursuing the refineries to make influence on people. They have a pivotal position primarily
their petrol lead free. because of their immense influence on people and wide
reach.
Other initiatives:
1. Burning of agricultural biomass residue or crop residue NGO’s: The role of NGO’s in cresting environmental
has been a major health hazard. It is also a regional awareness and promoting EE is very significant. Karalla
source of pollution, contributing between 12 to 60 Sastra Sahitya Parishad, India, which initiated the silent
present of PM concentration. Both Haryana and Punjab Valley Movement and successfully stalled a hide project in
have now banned stubble burning of crops and there has the silent valley. One of the best bio-diversity spots in the
been a dip in crop burning cases in the said states since world.
the ban.
2. The Chilika lagoon is situated along the eastern coast of Business Houses: The business houses play an important
India is a Ramsar site. This hotspot of biodiversity had role in preserving environment. Consumers are increasingly
been facing multiple pressures. For the restoration, Govt. getting interested in the green initiatives propagated by the
of Orissa created Chilika Development Authority (CDA). seller companies and are willing to pay more for them. As a
With the active participation of the local community. The result, the inorganic industry has come to a dead end and
lagoon has been restored now. organic industry has strived. Their aim is to become ‘zero
3. Government of Chhattisgarh has declared the state as waste companies’.
“Herbal state” and under “Hariyar Chhattisgarh”
enormous plantation of medicinal plants have been Groups and Individuals: Groups and individuals the
started in urban as well as rural area. fundamental role in environment preservation as they are
4. In Pune, thousands of scrap collectors participated in a the building blocks of the society.
series of protest demonstrations and Rallies demanding
official recognition by issuing identity cards as their work Conclusion
were socially useful. The municipality agreed to their Increase in global population, consumption, production of
demand and thus become the 1st governmental authority utilities and the imbalanced usage of limited natural
in the country to issue ID cards to rag pickers. Today resources have depleted the environment. Despite the efforts
members of the union have a sense of pride. For the 1st in the international and local level by various organisations
time there was felling of support from outside Srinivasan and authorities, the environment is still continuing to
2003. deplete. There is a direct relation of Environmentalism with
environment education and awareness. The momentum of
Components of Environmentalism Environmentalism will increase with Environment
The period of environmentalism heightened environmental awareness, thus making everyone responsible to curb out
concern and subsequently the concept of environmental the environment depletion. The environmental educators
awareness has emerged. Apart from the local authorities and and policy makers must give more emphasis on efforts to
the government, these are the various components which increase environmental responsibility at the international
contribute to environmentalism and thus raising level, state level, amongst groups and individuals; NGO’s and
environment awareness: local people considering the environmental concerns at the
time.
Environmental Organisations and Agencies: There are
many international agencies and organisations which have
24http://nswai.com/about.php
25 Companies (Amendment) Act, 2013, Section 135
26http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/faec83804c6322
d1be53bea086717e58/odd_even.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&lmo
d=348624296
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23693 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun 2019 Page: 353